


you are in love

by rinrin_obliviate



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: 1989 album, Birthday, Birthday Presents, Drunken Confessions, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Inspired by Taylor Swift, Just kidding they were lovers all along they just don't know it yet, Light Angst, M/M, Warning: Brief Mentions of Drinking, moments in time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 22:08:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29940132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rinrin_obliviate/pseuds/rinrin_obliviate
Summary: Sometimes, Scorpius thinks,the moments we encounter briefly are the ones that we cherish the most.As he averts his gaze towards Albus, his gaze traces from his messy hair down his robes. He looks at how his tie almost strangles Albus, and how he instinctively wants to remove it from him. He looks at Albus’ eyes, and how he wishes that he could stare at those forever.Finally, he looks at Albus’ lips.
Relationships: Scorpius Malfoy/Albus Severus Potter
Comments: 6
Kudos: 35





	you are in love

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! It's been a long time since I have posted a fic. School has been hectic lately, so when our midterms was over, I decided to write myself a little present! I've been looking forward to writing and posting this for a long time, especially that I continue listening to Taylor Swift in repeat. '
> 
> Disclaimer, this fic is inspired by the song "You Are In Love" by Taylor Swift. Although some of its lyrics don't connect to the actual plot, I was inspired by the spirit of the song. ;) Also, it's my first time writing in the present tense, so please bear with me if you encounter any errors!
> 
> Thank you @Sapphicfangirll for beta reading my fic! You said fangirling was your style of beta reading, and I couldn't agree more! Looking forward to more fics and fangirling!!!

_One night he wakes_

_Strange look on his face_

_Pauses, then says_

_You're my best friend_

_And you knew what it was_

_He is in love_

_You can hear it in the silence, silence, you_

_You can feel it on the way home, way home, you_

_You can see it with the lights out, lights out_

-t.s. you are in love

They are at Godric’s Hollow, October 31, 1981.

Everything happened so fast, Scorpius thinks. One minute they were at Hogwarts in the year 2020, then in 1995, and now they’re at Godric’s Hollow, years before he was even born. 

He feels agitated. So much has happened, and Scorpius is used to doing something, _anything_ , during times like these. At this moment, though, they have tried everything. They’ve stolen from Bathilda Bagshot, much to Scorpius’ shock and dismay. They have sent a message using Harry’s baby blanket that is smothered in love potion. All they have to do now is wait, and waiting seems to be the most difficult part of it all.

It is cold. Really cold. That’s the first thing he notices after they made themselves comfortable in a tiny shed. He dares to look up, only to see a clear night sky. The stars shine bright along with a dim moonlight, reminding him of Albus’s freckles. It was a heavenly sight—quiet, peaceful, serene, like the world has yet to know what fate has in store for them.

Scorpius should feel happy. Excited, at least. He is moments away from witnessing history, a period of time only published in books and given in interviews. Yet part of him feels numb. After this, after their parents had (hopefully) fetched them, the world will go on. The sky he sees will stay the same, snowflakes will still fall like scattered parchment along the pavement, and the people will keep going to the church. The world will go on as if nothing has happened, and all Scorpius wants is for it to stay still.

Suddenly, as his hand rested on one of the bottom rails, he feels the weight of another hand on top of his. He turns, and he sees Albus’s staring at the sky.

“I thought you were cold,” Albus says, still not looking at him. “And I’ve read something about hands getting easily colder than the rest of the body. It might help.”

Scorpius wants to joke about Albus actually taking the time to _read_ and remember something about it, but decides otherwise. “What makes you think I’m cold?”

“Well, for one, your hands are cold. You also do this thing where you rub fingers in your sweater in a really weird way, so yeah,” Albus comments. Scorpius tries to think of a good comeback, but he’s too busy staring at Albus’s hair. It’s definitely messier than Harry’s as of now. There’s a little bit of dust and dirt and grass from before, but it’s mostly scattered with bits of snowflakes, like constellations treading the night sky.

He draws a deep breath and, without thinking, he intertwines both of their hands together.

Their fingers fit perfectly against each other. His hands are soft, but Scorpius feels rough patches of calluses here and there. Scorpius would very much like to stay in that moment, but he worries about Albus’ reaction. As he averts his gaze from Albus and stares into the night sky, he notices that Albus tightens his grip on his hands. 

Things are still bad, Scorpius thinks. Yet his world right now doesn’t seem so bad with Albus holding his hand.

\-----

“Do you think it’s over?”

It’s a strange question to ask, which is why Albus looks up from his books and stares at Scorpius. It is midnight, and they are poring over their revisions for a History of Magic on a Friday night. They should be sleeping or eating sweets until they keep themselves full, but Scorpius figures there’s nothing else to do. So they study, but that studying has turned into something deep.

“What is?” Albus asks.

“Delphi,” Scorpius says. “The time-turner.”

A look of comprehension settles at Albus’ face. He doesn’t dismiss the thought, nor does he make a joke out of it. Instead… “what do you mean?”

“I mean, yes. We know she’s in Azkaban. We know that there are no time-turners around anymore, but…” Scorpius hesitates. “What if those experiences never leave us?”

Silence. After a little bit, Scorpius thinks that Albus has moved on from the conversation. After all, it is so deep that he doesn’t even know where it’s coming from. Maybe Potions is, after all, the right thing to do. Potions is tolerable. You might end up with a scab on your face if it accidentally explodes, but it’s fine. 

“It doesn’t,” Albus says, then looks at Scorpius. “Maybe it doesn’t leave us.”

“But that doesn’t mean that we can’t go forward,” he continues. “It’s not...I don’t think we should let our past stop us from dreaming, from doing the things that we want.”

Scorpius listens to every word. “But...how?”

“I don’t know.” Albus gives a bitter smile. “But my dad did. After the war. And your dad too, he recovered slowly. If they can do it, I believe we can too.”

Scorpius agrees. He smiles at him. “Thank you.”

The topic should have been put to an end, but as Scorpius shuffles his notes and gets back to reading, he hears sniffling. 

“I think you’re a bit cold,” Scorpius mutters while stacking some of his parchments. “Maybe we should head back—”

As Scorpius looks up, he sees Albus’ nose that turns pink from the cold. It shouldn’t have been a problem, except there are visible tear stains from his cheeks that looked like they were hastily wiped away. His eyes are almost red. 

“Are you—” Scorpius asks. He doesn’t know where to start, or why would he be crying in the middle of the night. “Are you hurt?”

It’s the only question he can think of. Meanwhile, Albus shakes his head, avoiding his gaze. “I’m sorry,” he mutters under his breath.

“But...Al,” Scorpius reasons out. “There’s nothing wrong with what you said.”

“No, I’m sorry. About everything.” Albus wipes his face with the sleeves of his sweater. “You shouldn’t have had nightmares because of me. It was me who wanted to be like my dad. You shouldn’t have been dragged into this.”

“What happened isn’t your fault,” Scorpius explains. He knows that it won’t change Albus’ disposition for quite a while, but reminding him might make things a little bit better for him. “None of it is. Delphi would have appeared in our lives in one way or another. It’s inevitable.”

He gives Albus time for that to sink in. Then, he whispers…“I’m sorry.”

Suddenly, it occurred to him the nights when he has nightmares about Voldemort’s reality, and every time he wakes up, his best friend is there. He thinks about the times when Albus held his hand when the Unforgivable curses were mentioned during class. He thinks about the times he looks at him when they talk about Time-Turners, and the night in 1981.

He wonders if Albus has nightmares too, and how many times he had woken up and Scorpius was not there.

Maybe Albus has been carrying it all. Usually, Scorpius lets it pass. He leaves Albus alone until he wants to talk to him. He knows when he needs his best friend to be alone, and he knows when not to.

Today is one of those times.

He stacks all of their parchments to their side. He leaves the book in his bedside drawer until their beds are empty. A shade of green now enters the room, illuminated by the moonlight.

Scorpius looks at Albus. He doesn’t know what or why he’s feeling the way he feels, but he thinks of their first meeting at the train, the time where he punched a bunch of bullies after a confrontation with Scorpius, the time when he was there when Scorpius’ mum was ill. He thinks about how Albus is willing to erase his own existence at the expense of his own life, and how he crawled through the grate to save them from Delphi.

At that moment, he realizes how willing he is to do anything for the boy in front of him, just like how Albus is willing to put everything at stake.

He wants to say a billion things. Instead, he asks. 

“Do you want to sleep together?”

\------

It’s a special day today. 

They decided to sit beside the Great Lake today, as to Scorpius’ suggestion. The world is covered in an array of orange, pink, and violet, casting the most beautiful reflection at the calm water. Albus leans against a tree, smiling to himself.

They should be heading back to the school. It’s the most reasonable thing Scorpius could think of. Right now, however, he wants to spend a part of his day here. They’ve sat and swum on the lake countless times, but today is one of those rare moments where he appreciates Hogwarts by itself. 

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

Scorpius grins. “Last time, you implied that Hogwarts is terrible.”

“It still is,” Albus chuckles, and that laugh makes Scorpius flutter a little inside. “But it doesn’t have to if we choose not to see it like that.”

He makes a face. “Are you the real Albus? Albus, wherever you are, you need to come back or I might accidentally throw a Bat-Bogey Hex in front of you.”

Albus gets a book and smacks his shoulder. Scorpius tries to grab something from the ground, but all there is is a bunch of dried leaves. Scorpius takes his chances and throws some of it to Albus. Albus throws the book back, and the mini fight goes on until they have nothing left to give. 

“I can’t believe you won using _leaves!”_ Albus whines, trying to catch his breath. “You’re really not the type to give up, are you?”

“Nope,” Scorpius remarks. “Just admit, I’m still better at these than you.”

“You always have something to grab. Besides, just wait ‘till we play a game of Chess later on.”

A comfortable silence settles between them. Darkness is almost settling in, and most students are retreating towards their dorms. Scorpius is about to invite Albus to stand before a Prefect discovers them. Suddenly…

“I want to give you something.” 

He doesn’t know why his heart skips a beat at Albus’ words. Maybe it’s just the cold, or maybe a part of him is still a little bit afraid that the two of them can get caught anytime. Still, he decides to say something. “A birthday present?”

“Something like that.” Albus gives a playful smile. “I can’t think of a perfect time to give you this, except now.”

Albus grabs his bag and fiddles its contents. His smile turns into a look of concentration as he looks for something, probably because of the dark. Whatever it is, Scorpius smiles inwardly at the possibility of Albus’ gift. A sweater? A scarf? Scorpius always steals his scarf, so maybe it’s about time that Albus gives him a knitted one. Either way, Albus’ gifts are always something that he couldn’t expect...a Pygmy Puff, a book that he _borrowed_ from Aunt Hermione...he wonders what it could be this time.

As Albus takes his hand away from the bag, Scorpius notices that the gift is not wrapped. It is small enough that Albus could clutch it in one hand. Curious, he scoots himself closer to Albus until they’re beside each other.

“I didn’t want to wrap it,” Albus whispers. He hands the gift to Scorpius. “It might ruin the whole thing, considering my wrapping skills.”

It’s a box. A tiny box, just like those jewelry boxes where his mum puts her bracelets and earrings and shiny stuff that Scorpius almost chewed when he was a child. His dad owns one of these too, and he takes it out of his drawers from time to time.

Scorpius wonders what it could be.

He opens it, expecting to see something that is similar to what his dad owns. Instead, what he finds inside makes him gasp.

It’s a necklace. Not just any necklace, but a necklace studded with his constellation at the center. It is intricately woven that most of its details are mesmerizing. The sizes of each star, the lines that connect them, and the silver chain that holds it together. There’s also a faint, emerald glow that emanates from each star, with the center as its brightest. _Antares_ , Scorpius figures. The necklace contains enchantments in itself, and it’s the most beautiful jewelry he might ever own. 

Scorpius stares at every detail, at loss of words. He doesn’t say anything, so Albus has apparently decided to.

“Do you want to wear it?” Albus asks, a faint linger of hesitance in his voice. Scorpius can only nod. He watches as Albus takes the necklace away from its box and snakes it around his neck. He doesn’t know why the slightest touch of Albus’ fingers makes him hold his breath, or why he wants it there again and again. Finally, as Albus clasps the necklace, does he only have the courage to look at him.

“Where did you get this?”

He wants to hit himself in the head for not thanking him. Usually, celebrators thank people first before anything else. Luckily, Albus doesn’t take this badly. “It’s personalized for you. I saved a little bit of money from it, but my dad...he helped me buy the necklace in exchange for some _‘father-and-son’_ day-off.”

Scorpius wants to crack a joke, but finds himself unable to. Instead, he hears Albus speak. 

“Do you like it?”

There’s a little bit of worry etched in his face, and his words hinted that this might be the first gift Scorpius might not like. 

“Albus…” Scorpius starts. “I love it.”

Suddenly, without his mind thinking, he flungs himself in front of Albus. He hugs him, tighter than he ever has. This is his first birthday since the incident, and part of him feels so grateful to be alive, for all of it to be over, for Albus to be by his side.

As he closes his eyes and lets himself get enveloped by Albus’ scent, he hears Albus whisper. 

_“Happy Birthday, Scorpius.”_

\-----

“Where’s Albus?”

Lily sits beside him, holding a cup of butterbeer in her hands. The Gryffindor room is loud—echoes of screams and laughter fill the room, and Scorpius couldn’t almost decipher a word. It’s a bit anxious, at first, but all of it had been fine with Albus.

“He’s still here. I think he went to the bathroom or something. He looked a bit green though.” 

Lily’s eyes went wide at that, before giving off a light chuckle. “Did James offer you a drink?

“Yes, both of us.” A hint of hesitation lingers at Scorpius’ voice, unsure of what Lily is talking about. “It tasted kind of sour though, so I drank a little. I think it was Albus who finished it.”

“Yeah mate, I don’t know how to tell you this, but your friend’s probably vomiting his guts right now.” Lily patted him from the back. “That’s whiskey.”

So that’s why he felt a little _woozy_ after that. Lily seems to have noticed his uncertainty because she gave him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, he’ll be fine. You might have to drag him to the Slytherin Common Room, but I’m sure it’s not that bad.”

“You can’t imagine how hard I have to drag Albus when he's sober,” Scorpius whines. “What more when he’s drunk?”

Lily leans at the sofa, and laughs. “Well, he’s your responsibility now. I think he has always been.”

Scorpius scrunches his brow. “What do you mean?”

“Well, of course you take responsibility for the people you love. But for you it might not be.” She looks at Scorpius. “We look out for the people we love not because we feel responsible for them, but because we care for them. Like your mum and dad.”

He thinks about what Lily has said. Love? Of course he loves Albus. He has always loved him. To say that he did not love him is like describing a bleak and dark world. But still, there’s something about what Lily says that makes him want to want more. “You sound like your brother’s namesake.” 

“Which one?” Lily retorts. She looks past him before her face turns into a grin. “There he is.”

Scorpius follows his gaze, and true to Lily’s word, Albus is dragged along by James. He looks like he has almost gotten out of bed, his hair messy and eyelids fluttering. James hollers before him before shoving Albus towards Scorpius.

“Your best friend has low alcohol tolerance.” James deadpans. “I’m surprised you’re not in the same state as him.”

“I’ve drank wine before, so it’s really not a problem.” That is actually true, since his dad lets him take a sip of expensive wines at the Manor. Some taste good, while others taste bad. It mostly tastes weird though, and he wonders why most adults love to drink it.

“Good,” James finalizes. “Can you take him to the dorm alive, then?”

“Alive, yes,” Scorpius says. “If he even has the strength to even get up.”

“I can _get_ up.” Albus butts in, his voice slurred and head swinging back and forth. “I’m not drunk.”

“Right,” Scorpius mutters, playful sarcasm lingering in his words. He stands from his seat, reaches Albus’ arm, and swings it over his shoulder. Albus stumbles next to him, mumbling about how he does not need any assistance. “We have to go to the Slytherin Common Room before the Professors catch us.”

It is a battle, carrying Albus. He has always been heavier than him, so carrying half of his weight while dodging the furniture (and more drunk students) is like walking through fire. Scorpius heaves a sigh of relief as they escape the Gryffindor common room, but looking at the flight of stairs they’ll have to endure, he figures that it’s going to be a long night.

“Scorp.” Albus slurs his words, poking his shoulder. “Scorp-y.”

“Shh, quiet,” Scorpius whispers. “It’s curfew, and we’re not supposed to be here.”

“Who’d catch us? The Prefects? James can handle that. He’s James.”

“No, but the Professors.” Scorpius insists. He drags Albus along, making sure his best friend doesn’t break a bone from tripping down the stairs. He does not know which is worse—having to break a bone in the middle of the night, or explaining to Madame Pomfrey why Albus is a talking mess. “Can you please stand up a little?”

“Yes, but I don’t want to.” Albus looks at him, a soppy grin in his face. “You smell nice.”

Scorpius ignores the mischievous hint of Albus’ voice. Instead, he continues to guide him down a flight of stairs. It’s quiet most of the time, except for the series of curses that flies through Albus’ mouth whenever he trips on something.

“You look quite handsome,” Albus says out of the blue. He looks at him, and Albus has this little grin in his face. “Did you know that?”

Scorpius avoids his gaze and stares down towards a hallway. He hopes the halls are dark enough so Albus can't see him flushed. “It would be better if you knew how to walk like your life didn’t depend on me.”

“I’m just saying what I see. I understand why Polly would want to snog you in another reality.” Albus says bluntly. Scorpius feels his eyes widen at his words.

“Shh,” Scorpius hisses. He pushes a finger on Albus’ lips. “People might hear you. Besides, that’s a different version of me. There’s little to no chance that Polly would even attempt to kiss me.”

“I would,” Albus mumbles. 

Scorpius averts his gaze towards him. “What?”

“You heard me,” Albus teases. “I sa—”

“Will the two of you shut up?” A voice bellows, and he clamps his mouth on Albus’. He sees Albus’ eyes widen, his head turning from left to right. Scorpius moves a little bit forward and sees a painting of an old grandma with her kitten on a table. _She must’ve been the one who shouted at them_ , Scorpius figures. _At least it’s just a painting._

“Sorry,” Scorpius whispers, looking apologetically at the old grandma.

“Oh, Merlin’s beard,” the old lady hisses, more silently this time. “My kitten is sleeping. If you two plan to snog, do it in one of the dorms.”

Scorpius feels his face flush from embarrassment _(again)_ , while Albus lets out a giggle. They head down silently towards the remaining flight of stairs, before finally reaching the Slytherin common room and, finally, towards his bed.

“We’re here,” Scorpius whispers, wheezing as he watches Albus sprawls himself into a starfish position.

“Psst, Scorpius,” Albus calls out. His voice melts into a hush, which would’ve been useful a while ago. “Thank you.”

He lets Albus lie in his bed. Scorpius lays down next to Albus, trying to catch his breath. “For what?”

“You know why.” His voice sounds muffled from the pillows. Albus must have realized this, so he moves his head so that he’s cheek is on the pillow and his gaze is on Scorpius. He stares at him, a strange look on his face. Silence lingers for a while, and Scorpius allows himself to stare.

He realizes that Albus is staring at him too, and averts his gaze from him. He finds something to look at before Albus finally breaks the silence.

“Scorpius,” Albus whispers. “You’re my best friend. You know that?”

Scorpius smiles at him. A part of him wishes for something more, more than what there is right now. He remembers Lily’s words. _Well, of course you take responsibility for the people you love. Like your mum and dad._

“Yes.”

Suddenly, Albus’ eyes fill with worry and hesitancy, like he’s about to say something that might hurt him. He draws in a breath then.

“I know best friends don’t do this,” Albus starts off. “But can I kiss you?”

He feels his heart beat. He knows this isn’t Albus speaking. He’s drunk, For Merlin’s sake. But as he averts his gaze towards Albus, his gaze traces from his messy hair down his robes. He looks at how his tie almost strangles Albus, and how he instinctively wants to remove it from him. He looks at Albus’ eyes, and how he wishes that he could stare at those forever.

Finally, he looks at Albus’ lips. Without thinking, he nods.

Albus scoots towards him. Every second feels like eternity until, finally, his lips were on him.

It didn’t last long. It only takes seconds before both of them pull away. There’s a hint of strawberries and whiskey in his lips, and for a moment, Scorpius could feel nothing but bliss.

He scans Albus’ face for his reaction. Finally, he smiles.

“Let’s do it again tomorrow.” Albus says. “Goodnight, Scorpius.”

\-----

“Psst. Albus. Wake up.”

It’s the morning after yesterday’s incident, and he expects that Albus would wake up late. A while ago, Scorpius heads down to the Great Hall to eat breakfast, thinking about what happened yesterday. Lily gives him a hangover potion, and says that James is asking Rose to tell her to tell Albus that he needs to take it as soon as he wakes up or he might have to endure a headache.

So here he goes, waking a grumpy Albus and trying to get him off his bed. He keeps thinking about what happened yesterday, and how he’d never told anyone. He didn’t need to tell _anyone_. Albus probably won’t remember anything. Life will move on, they’d stay best friends, and it’ll be nothing more than a shared kiss. 

Albus gives an incoherent mumble before Scorpius tries to nudge him. He decides to take everything away from his bed, including the blankets and the pillows, so that Albus won’t have anything to clutch on to. Realizing that his efforts are futile, Albus opens his eyes and looks demeaningly at Scorpius.

“It’s Saturday.” Albus mutters. “Why’d you have to wake me up?”

“Because it’s almost lunch,” Scorpius deadpans.

“My head hurts like hell.” Albus closes his eyes and scratches his head. “I just want to sleep.”

“Speaking of that, Lily suggests that you drink this.” He shows a vial to Albus. “It’s a Hangover Potion. It’ll take away your headache to help you function like a human being.”

He sees Albus’ eyes narrow. “Why didn’t you just ask from Madame Pomfrey?”

“I was about to,” Scorpius chuckles. “But Lily stopped me and warned that it’ll be hard to explain why we needed a Hangover Potion in the first place.”

Albus grunts before launching himself to a sitting position. “Okay then.”

Scorpius opens the vial and hands it to Albus. He downs the potion in one drink. After a while, color finally reaches his face, and he looks much more normal than he did yesterday.

“That feels good.” Albus sighs. He closes his eyes before looking at Scorpius. “Do you remember what happened last night?”

Scorpius' heart sinks. He already expects this, but a part of him wants Albus to remember what happened. He wants to ask if he truly means it. Still, he finds no harm to telling the truth. “Why wouldn’t I? I wasn’t the one who’s drunk.”

“Good,” Albus nods. “I remember it too.”

He feels his heart race again. “You do?”

Albus gives a bitter smile. “I’ve always wanted to do that.”

Scorpius’ mind is reeling with thoughts, each making his heart thump faster. Finally, he settles for what he knows best. He smiles. “We can do it again. I want to.”

It was Albus’ turn to be surprised. He swallows. For a while, silence lingers, and Scorpius wonders if Albus is about to take back what he says. Finally…

“Can I at least brush my teeth?”

The two of them holler in laughter, and he finds Albus sitting on the floor as Scorpius throws two pillows square in his face. 

  
  


_You two are dancing in a snow globe, 'round and 'round_

_And he keeps the picture of you in his office downtown_

_And you understand now why they lost their minds and fought the wars_

_And why I've spent my whole life tryin' to put it into words_

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I really hope you enjoyed it!!!


End file.
